presentation grading rubric university

Rubric Best Practices, Examples, and Templates

A rubric is a scoring tool that identifies the different criteria relevant to an assignment, assessment, or learning outcome and states the possible levels of achievement in a specific, clear, and objective way. Use rubrics to assess project-based student work including essays, group projects, creative endeavors, and oral presentations.

Rubrics can help instructors communicate expectations to students and assess student work fairly, consistently and efficiently. Rubrics can provide students with informative feedback on their strengths and weaknesses so that they can reflect on their performance and work on areas that need improvement.

How to Get Started

Best practices, moodle how-to guides.

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Step 1: Analyze the assignment

The first step in the rubric creation process is to analyze the assignment or assessment for which you are creating a rubric. To do this, consider the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the assignment and your feedback? What do you want students to demonstrate through the completion of this assignment (i.e. what are the learning objectives measured by it)? Is it a summative assessment, or will students use the feedback to create an improved product?
• Does the assignment break down into different or smaller tasks? Are these tasks equally important as the main assignment?
• What would an “excellent” assignment look like? An “acceptable” assignment? One that still needs major work?
• How detailed do you want the feedback you give students to be? Do you want/need to give them a grade?

Step 2: Decide what kind of rubric you will use

Types of rubrics: holistic, analytic/descriptive, single-point

Holistic Rubric. A holistic rubric includes all the criteria (such as clarity, organization, mechanics, etc.) to be considered together and included in a single evaluation. With a holistic rubric, the rater or grader assigns a single score based on an overall judgment of the student’s work, using descriptions of each performance level to assign the score.

Advantages of holistic rubrics:

• Can p lace an emphasis on what learners can demonstrate rather than what they cannot
• Save grader time by minimizing the number of evaluations to be made for each student
• Can be used consistently across raters, provided they have all been trained

Disadvantages of holistic rubrics:

• Provide less specific feedback than analytic/descriptive rubrics
• Can be difficult to choose a score when a student’s work is at varying levels across the criteria
• Any weighting of c riteria cannot be indicated in the rubric

Analytic/Descriptive Rubric . An analytic or descriptive rubric often takes the form of a table with the criteria listed in the left column and with levels of performance listed across the top row. Each cell contains a description of what the specified criterion looks like at a given level of performance. Each of the criteria is scored individually.

Advantages of analytic rubrics:

• Provide detailed feedback on areas of strength or weakness
• Each criterion can be weighted to reflect its relative importance

Disadvantages of analytic rubrics:

• More time-consuming to create and use than a holistic rubric
• May not be used consistently across raters unless the cells are well defined
• May result in giving less personalized feedback

Single-Point Rubric . A single-point rubric is breaks down the components of an assignment into different criteria, but instead of describing different levels of performance, only the “proficient” level is described. Feedback space is provided for instructors to give individualized comments to help students improve and/or show where they excelled beyond the proficiency descriptors.

Advantages of single-point rubrics:

• Easier to create than an analytic/descriptive rubric
• Perhaps more likely that students will read the descriptors
• Areas of concern and excellence are open-ended
• May removes a focus on the grade/points
• May increase student creativity in project-based assignments

Disadvantage of analytic rubrics: Requires more work for instructors writing feedback

Step 3 (Optional): Look for templates and examples.

You might Google, “Rubric for persuasive essay at the college level” and see if there are any publicly available examples to start from. Ask your colleagues if they have used a rubric for a similar assignment. Some examples are also available at the end of this article. These rubrics can be a great starting point for you, but consider steps 3, 4, and 5 below to ensure that the rubric matches your assignment description, learning objectives and expectations.

Step 4: Define the assignment criteria

Make a list of the knowledge and skills are you measuring with the assignment/assessment Refer to your stated learning objectives, the assignment instructions, past examples of student work, etc. for help.

  Helpful strategies for defining grading criteria:

• Collaborate with co-instructors, teaching assistants, and other colleagues
• Brainstorm and discuss with students
• Can they be observed and measured?
• Are they important and essential?
• Are they distinct from other criteria?
• Are they phrased in precise, unambiguous language?
• Revise the criteria as needed
• Consider whether some are more important than others, and how you will weight them.

Step 5: Design the rating scale

Most ratings scales include between 3 and 5 levels. Consider the following questions when designing your rating scale:

• Given what students are able to demonstrate in this assignment/assessment, what are the possible levels of achievement?
• How many levels would you like to include (more levels means more detailed descriptions)
• Will you use numbers and/or descriptive labels for each level of performance? (for example 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and/or Exceeds expectations, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, Beginning, etc.)
• Don’t use too many columns, and recognize that some criteria can have more columns that others . The rubric needs to be comprehensible and organized. Pick the right amount of columns so that the criteria flow logically and naturally across levels.

Step 6: Write descriptions for each level of the rating scale

Artificial Intelligence tools like Chat GPT have proven to be useful tools for creating a rubric. You will want to engineer your prompt that you provide the AI assistant to ensure you get what you want. For example, you might provide the assignment description, the criteria you feel are important, and the number of levels of performance you want in your prompt. Use the results as a starting point, and adjust the descriptions as needed.

Building a rubric from scratch

For a single-point rubric , describe what would be considered “proficient,” i.e. B-level work, and provide that description. You might also include suggestions for students outside of the actual rubric about how they might surpass proficient-level work.

For analytic and holistic rubrics , c reate statements of expected performance at each level of the rubric.

• Consider what descriptor is appropriate for each criteria, e.g., presence vs absence, complete vs incomplete, many vs none, major vs minor, consistent vs inconsistent, always vs never. If you have an indicator described in one level, it will need to be described in each level.
• You might start with the top/exemplary level. What does it look like when a student has achieved excellence for each/every criterion? Then, look at the “bottom” level. What does it look like when a student has not achieved the learning goals in any way? Then, complete the in-between levels.
• For an analytic rubric , do this for each particular criterion of the rubric so that every cell in the table is filled. These descriptions help students understand your expectations and their performance in regard to those expectations.

Well-written descriptions:

• Describe observable and measurable behavior
• Use parallel language across the scale
• Indicate the degree to which the standards are met

Step 7: Create your rubric

Create your rubric in a table or spreadsheet in Word, Google Docs, Sheets, etc., and then transfer it by typing it into Moodle. You can also use online tools to create the rubric, but you will still have to type the criteria, indicators, levels, etc., into Moodle. Rubric creators: Rubistar , iRubric

Step 8: Pilot-test your rubric

Prior to implementing your rubric on a live course, obtain feedback from:

• Teacher assistants

Try out your new rubric on a sample of student work. After you pilot-test your rubric, analyze the results to consider its effectiveness and revise accordingly.

• Limit the rubric to a single page for reading and grading ease
• Use parallel language . Use similar language and syntax/wording from column to column. Make sure that the rubric can be easily read from left to right or vice versa.
• Use student-friendly language . Make sure the language is learning-level appropriate. If you use academic language or concepts, you will need to teach those concepts.
• Share and discuss the rubric with your students . Students should understand that the rubric is there to help them learn, reflect, and self-assess. If students use a rubric, they will understand the expectations and their relevance to learning.
• Consider scalability and reusability of rubrics. Create rubric templates that you can alter as needed for multiple assignments.
• Maximize the descriptiveness of your language. Avoid words like “good” and “excellent.” For example, instead of saying, “uses excellent sources,” you might describe what makes a resource excellent so that students will know. You might also consider reducing the reliance on quantity, such as a number of allowable misspelled words. Focus instead, for example, on how distracting any spelling errors are.

Example of an analytic rubric for a final paper

Example of a holistic rubric for a final paper

Single-Point Rubric

More examples:

• Single Point Rubric Template ( variation )
• Analytic Rubric Template make a copy to edit
• A Rubric for Rubrics
• Bank of Online Discussion Rubrics in different formats
• Mathematical Presentations Descriptive Rubric
• Math Proof Assessment Rubric
• Kansas State Sample Rubrics
• Design Single Point Rubric

Technology Tools: Rubrics in Moodle

• Moodle Docs: Rubrics
• Moodle Docs: Grading Guide (use for single-point rubrics)

Tools with rubrics (other than Moodle)

• Google Assignments
• Turnitin Assignments: Rubric or Grading Form

Other resources

• DePaul University (n.d.). Rubrics .
• Gonzalez, J. (2014). Know your terms: Holistic, Analytic, and Single-Point Rubrics . Cult of Pedagogy.
• Goodrich, H. (1996). Understanding rubrics . Teaching for Authentic Student Performance, 54 (4), 14-17. Retrieved from   
• Miller, A. (2012). Tame the beast: tips for designing and using rubrics.
• Ragupathi, K., Lee, A. (2020). Beyond Fairness and Consistency in Grading: The Role of Rubrics in Higher Education. In: Sanger, C., Gleason, N. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Rubrics for Oral Presentations

Introduction.

Many instructors require students to give oral presentations, which they evaluate and count in students’ grades. It is important that instructors clarify their goals for these presentations as well as the student learning objectives to which they are related. Embedding the assignment in course goals and learning objectives allows instructors to be clear with students about their expectations and to develop a rubric for evaluating the presentations.

A rubric is a scoring guide that articulates and assesses specific components and expectations for an assignment. Rubrics identify the various criteria relevant to an assignment and then explicitly state the possible levels of achievement along a continuum, so that an effective rubric accurately reflects the expectations of an assignment. Using a rubric to evaluate student performance has advantages for both instructors and students.  Creating Rubrics

Rubrics can be either analytic or holistic. An analytic rubric comprises a set of specific criteria, with each one evaluated separately and receiving a separate score. The template resembles a grid with the criteria listed in the left column and levels of performance listed across the top row, using numbers and/or descriptors. The cells within the center of the rubric contain descriptions of what expected performance looks like for each level of performance.

A holistic rubric consists of a set of descriptors that generate a single, global score for the entire work. The single score is based on raters’ overall perception of the quality of the performance. Often, sentence- or paragraph-length descriptions of different levels of competencies are provided.

When applied to an oral presentation, rubrics should reflect the elements of the presentation that will be evaluated as well as their relative importance. Thus, the instructor must decide whether to include dimensions relevant to both form and content and, if so, which one. Additionally, the instructor must decide how to weight each of the dimensions – are they all equally important, or are some more important than others? Additionally, if the presentation represents a group project, the instructor must decide how to balance grading individual and group contributions.  Evaluating Group Projects

Creating Rubrics

The steps for creating an analytic rubric include the following:

1. Clarify the purpose of the assignment. What learning objectives are associated with the assignment?

2. Look for existing rubrics that can be adopted or adapted for the specific assignment

3. Define the criteria to be evaluated

4. Choose the rating scale to measure levels of performance

5. Write descriptions for each criterion for each performance level of the rating scale

6. Test and revise the rubric

Examples of criteria that have been included in rubrics for evaluation oral presentations include:

• Knowledge of content
• Organization of content
• Presentation of ideas
• Research/sources
• Visual aids/handouts
• Language clarity
• Grammatical correctness
• Time management
• Volume of speech
• Rate/pacing of Speech
• Mannerisms/gestures
• ​​​​​​​Eye contact/audience engagement

Examples of scales/ratings that have been used to rate student performance include:

• Strong, Satisfactory, Weak
• Beginning, Intermediate, High
• Exemplary, Competent, Developing
• Excellent, Competent, Needs Work
• Exceeds Standard, Meets Standard, Approaching Standard, Below Standard
• Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Novice
• Excellent, Good, Marginal, Unacceptable
• Advanced, Intermediate High, Intermediate, Developing
• Exceptional, Above Average, Sufficient, Minimal, Poor
• Master, Distinguished, Proficient, Intermediate, Novice
• Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor, Unacceptable
• Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• Exemplary, Accomplished, Acceptable, Minimally Acceptable, Emerging, Unacceptable

Grading and Performance Rubrics Carnegie Mellon University Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation

Creating and Using Rubrics Carnegie Mellon University Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation

Using Rubrics Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation

Rubrics DePaul University Teaching Commons

Building a Rubric University of Texas/Austin Faculty Innovation Center

Building a Rubric Columbia University Center for Teaching and Learning

Rubric Development University of West Florida Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Creating and Using Rubrics Yale University Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

Designing Grading Rubrics ​​​​​​​ Brown University Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Examples of Oral Presentation Rubrics

Oral Presentation Rubric Pomona College Teaching and Learning Center

Oral Presentation Evaluation Rubric University of Michigan

Oral Presentation Rubric Roanoke College

Oral Presentation: Scoring Guide Fresno State University Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Presentation Skills Rubric State University of New York/New Paltz School of Business

Oral Presentation Rubric Oregon State University Center for Teaching and Learning

Oral Presentation Rubric Purdue University College of Science

Group Class Presentation Sample Rubric Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School

Center for Excellence in Teaching

Home > Resources > Group presentation rubric

Group presentation rubric

This is a grading rubric an instructor uses to assess students’ work on this type of assignment. It is a sample rubric that needs to be edited to reflect the specifics of a particular assignment. Students can self-assess using the rubric as a checklist before submitting their assignment.

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Higher Education

How to (Effectively) Use a Presentation Grading Rubric

Almost all higher education courses these days require students to give a presentation, which can be a beast to grade. But there’s a simple tool to keep your evaluations on track. 

Enter: The presentation grading rubric.

With a presentation grading rubric, giving feedback is simple. Rubrics help instructors standardize criteria and provide consistent scoring and feedback for each presenter. 

How can presentation grading rubrics be used effectively? Here are 5 ways to make the most of your rubrics. 

1. Find a Good Customizable Rubric

There’s practically no limit to how rubrics are used, and there are oodles of presentation rubrics on Pinterest and Google Images. But not all rubrics are created equal. 

Professors need to be picky when choosing a presentation rubric for their courses. Rubrics should clearly define the target that students are aiming for and describe performance. 

2. Fine-Tune Your Rubric

Make sure your rubric accurately reflects the expectations you have for your students. It may be helpful to ask a colleague or peer to review your rubric before putting it to use. After using it for an assignment, you could take notes on the rubric’s efficiency as you grade. 

You may need to tweak your rubric to correct common misunderstandings or meet the criteria for a specific assignment. Make adjustments as needed and frequently review your rubric to maximize its effectiveness. 

3. Discuss the Rubric Beforehand

On her blog Write-Out-Loud , Susan Dugdale advises to not keep rubrics a secret. Rubrics should be openly discussed before a presentation is given. Make sure reviewing your rubric with students is listed on your lesson plan.

Set aside time to discuss the criteria with students ahead of presentation day so they know where to focus their efforts. To help students better understand the rubric, play a clip of a presentation and have students use the rubric to grade the video. Go over what grade students gave the presentation and why, based on the rubric’s standards. Then explain how you would grade the presentation as an instructor. This will help your students internalize the rubric as they prepare for their presentations.

4. Use the Rubric Consistently

Rubrics help maintain fairness in grading. When presentation time arrives, use a consistent set of grading criteria across all speakers to keep grading unbiased. 

An effective application for rubrics is to apply a quantitative value to students across a cohort and over multiple presentations. These values show which students made the most progress and where they started out (relative to the rest of their class). Taken together, this data tells the story of how effective or ineffective the feedback has been.

5. Share Your Feedback

If you’re using an electronic system, sharing feedback might be automatic. If you’re using paper, try to give copies to presenters as soon as possible. This will help them incorporate your feedback while everything is still fresh in their minds. 

If you’re looking to use rubrics electronically, check out GoReact, the #1 video platform for skill development. GoReact allows you to capture student presentations on video for feedback, grading, and critique. The software includes a rubric builder that you can apply to recordings of any kind of presentation.

Presenters can receive real-time feedback by live recording directly to GoReact with a webcam or smartphone. Instructors and peers submit feedback during the presentation. Students improve astronomically. 

A presentation grading rubric is a simple way to keep your evaluations on track. Remember to use a customizable rubric, discuss the criteria beforehand, follow a consistent set of grading criteria, make necessary adjustments, and quickly share your feedback.

By following these five steps, both you and your students can reap the benefits that great rubrics have to offer.

Personalize Your GoReact Experience

• Presentation Design

Presentation Rubric for a College Project

We seem to have an unavoidable relationship with public speaking throughout our lives. From our kindergarten years, when our presentations are nothing more than a few seconds of reciting cute words in front of our class…

...till our grown up years, when things get a little more serious, and the success of our presentations may determine getting funds for our business, or obtaining an academic degree when defending our thesis.

By the time we reach our mid 20’s, we become worryingly used to evaluations based on our presentations. Yet, for some reason, we’re rarely told the traits upon which we are being evaluated. Most colleges and business schools for instance use a PowerPoint presentation rubric to evaluate their students. Funny thing is, they’re not usually that open about sharing it with their students (as if that would do any harm!).

What is a presentation rubric?

A presentation rubric is a systematic and standardized tool used to evaluate and assess the quality and effectiveness of a presentation. It provides a structured framework for instructors, evaluators, or peers to assess various aspects of a presentation, such as content, delivery, organization, and overall performance. Presentation rubrics are commonly used in educational settings, business environments, and other contexts where presentations are a key form of communication.

A typical presentation rubric includes a set of criteria and a scale for rating or scoring each criterion. The criteria are specific aspects or elements of the presentation that are considered essential for a successful presentation. The scale assigns a numerical value or descriptive level to each criterion, ranging from poor or unsatisfactory to excellent or outstanding.

Common criteria found in presentation rubrics may include:

• Content: This criterion assesses the quality and relevance of the information presented. It looks at factors like accuracy, depth of knowledge, use of evidence, and the clarity of key messages.
• Organization: Organization evaluates the structure and flow of the presentation. It considers how well the introduction, body, and conclusion are structured and whether transitions between sections are smooth.
• Delivery: Delivery assesses the presenter's speaking skills, including vocal tone, pace, clarity, and engagement with the audience. It also looks at nonverbal communication, such as body language and eye contact.
• Visual Aids: If visual aids like slides or props are used, this criterion evaluates their effectiveness, relevance, and clarity. It may also assess the design and layout of visual materials.
• Audience Engagement: This criterion measures the presenter's ability to connect with the audience, maintain their interest, and respond to questions or feedback.
• Time Management: Time management assesses whether the presenter stayed within the allotted time for the presentation. Going significantly over or under the time limit can affect the overall effectiveness of the presentation.
• Creativity and Innovation: In some cases, rubrics may include criteria related to the creative and innovative aspects of the presentation, encouraging presenters to think outside the box.
• Overall Impact: This criterion provides an overall assessment of the presentation's impact on the audience, considering how well it achieved its intended purpose and whether it left a lasting impression.

“We’re used to giving presentations, yet we’re rarely told the traits upon which we’re being evaluated.

Well, we don’t believe in shutting down information. Quite the contrary: we think the best way to practice your speech is to know exactly what is being tested! By evaluating each trait separately, you can:

• Acknowledge the complexity of public speaking, that goes far beyond subject knowledge.
• Address your weaker spots, and work on them to improve your presentation as a whole.

I’ve assembled a simple Presentation Rubric, based on a great document by the NC State University, and I've also added a few rows of my own, so you can evaluate your presentation in pretty much any scenario!

CREATE PRESENTATION

What is tested in this powerpoint presentation rubric.

The Rubric contemplates 7 traits, which are as follows:

Now let's break down each trait so you can understand what they mean, and how to assess each one:

Presentation Rubric

How to use this Rubric?:

The Rubric is pretty self explanatory, so I'm just gonna give you some ideas as to how to use it. The ideal scenario is to ask someone else to listen to your presentation and evaluate you with it. The less that person knows you, or what your presentation is about, the better.

WONDERING WHAT YOUR SCORE MAY INDICATE?

• 21-28 Fan-bloody-tastic!
• 14-21 Looking good, but you can do better
• 7-14 Uhmmm, you ain't at all ready

As we don't always have someone to rehearse our presentations with, a great way to use the Rubric is to record yourself (this is not Hollywood material so an iPhone video will do!), watching the video afterwards, and evaluating your presentation on your own. You'll be surprised by how different your perception of yourself is, in comparison to how you see yourself on video.

Related read: Webinar - Public Speaking and Stage Presence: How to wow?

It will be fairly easy to evaluate each trait! The mere exercise of reading the Presentation Rubric is an excellent study on presenting best practices.

If you're struggling with any particular trait, I suggest you take a look at our Academy Channel where we discuss how to improve each trait in detail!

It's not always easy to objectively assess our own speaking skills. So the next time you have a big presentation coming up, use this Rubric to put yourself to the test!

Need support for your presentation? Build awesome slides using our very own Slidebean .

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Oral Presentation Rubric

Select the box which most describes student performance. Alternatively you can "split the indicators" by using the boxes before each indicator to evaluate each item individually.

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Designing grading rubrics.

• Teaching Resources
• Course Design
• Feedback on Student Learning
• Grading Criteria and Rubrics

Why use rubrics? Rubrics help instructors grade and provide feedback on assessments that have more than one correct answer in an efficient and equitable way. They facilitate transparency in grading, as well as increase consistency in scoring.

When given alongside an assignment, students can use rubrics to gain understanding about the purpose of an assignment, to provide peer feedback, or to engage in self-assessment. Multiple graders or reviewers produce more consistent results when they have been trained in using the rubric and have been provided with exemplars (for reviews of the research see Jonsson & Svingby, 2007; Reddy & Andrade, 2010).

Three Elements of a Rubric

A rubric involves three elements: 1) the criteria for assessing the product or performance, 2) a range of quality levels, and 3) a scoring strategy. There is enormous flexibility for instructors to construct rubrics that reflect their teaching perspective within these three parameters. 

Criteria define the distinct elements of expert or competent performance of the tasks central to the assignment. As the number of criteria increases, so does the amount of time required to review assignments. Too few criteria can lead to a rubric that does not effectively assess the range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to complete the task assigned. Generally, 4 to 6 criteria assess the breadth of competencies that are most essential to an assignment. 

A single criterion can be used to create a holistic rubric with very general descriptions. Holistic rubrics do not provide targeted feedback and research suggests they are less consistently used. Holistic rubrics work well to speed grading for low stakes activities that only need very general feedback (e.g., discussion forum posts or responses). For more significant assignments, an analytic rubric with multiple criteria is more useful for reviewers and students. Effectively selecting the most important criteria is the first step to designing effective analytic rubrics.

Once the most essential criteria for competently completing the assignment have been identified, different quality levels need to be identified. Selecting the number of quality levels is a critical decision. While a greater number of quality levels allows for finer distinctions, more levels increase the time required to develop the rubric and to review assignments. In addition, research has shown that as the number of quality levels increases, consistency across graders or reviewers decreases. Considering the ultimate grade distinctions that will be made in the course can help determine the appropriate levels of quality for significant assignments.

The labeling of quality levels requires careful reflection. In learning contexts, instructors typically distinguish levels of competence, mastery, or expertise. This framing emphasizes a developmental teaching perspective and communicates a growth mindset. Instructors should beware of quality descriptors that demoralize students (e.g., incompetent, barely adequate, almost competent).

The most equitable rubrics create a detailed table describing the key features for each criteria at each quality level. Criteria are listed along the left-most column (often according to hierarchy of importance or process order) and quality levels are arranged across the top row of the table (either from low to high or high to low). Each of the remaining table cells is filled with a description of key features that can be observed for the specific criteria at that quality level. These often focus on key factors that represent bottlenecks in student learning or critical steps to increased levels of competence.

Rubrics are flexible tools and instructors use a range of strategies to score student work using rubrics including:

• Setting weights for each criterion, and single scores for each quality level. This approach speeds grading and minimizes discretion that might be a source of bias.  Many digital tools support this strategy.
• Weighting criteria and providing a range of scores for each quality level. This approach supports instructors interested in making more fine-grained distinctions.
• Focusing on the overall combination of quality levels across criteria to assign a grade. This is a simplified grading structure that focuses on the overall grade and holistic judgment of the instructor or grader. For larger course enrollments, this strategy increases the risk of inconsistent or biased grading.
• For drafts and formative assessments, focusing on providing students feedback with the rubric and simply assigning a complete or incomplete grade can be an efficient and effective strategy

Suggestions for Creating a Rubric

Consider what, exactly, you want students to learn from the assignment. Write this down; it will guide the creation of criteria for your rubric.

Decide how you want to grade students. What elements of the assignment do you want to give them feedback on? This means determining the criteria associated with the task. To determine the criteria, think again about the goals of the assignment. What do you want students to accomplish? What do you want them to learn? Keep these criteria descriptions brief. Also, try to have an even, rather than an odd, number of criteria. This prevents the middle criterion from becoming a catch-all, allowing for more nuance in grading.

Decide whether you will use a letter grade, percentages, points, a rating scale, or some other scoring method in your rubric. How will you label them? With numbers or descriptive labels? 

Make sure the descriptors follow a logical progression. That is, descriptors indicating poor performance should be distinctly different from descriptors indicating high performance. And there should be consistency within the descriptors, meaning they should focus on particular attributes that carry through all criteria. 

Rubrics offer a more objective means of assessing student work, but that doesn’t mean they should assume a negative tone or offer an overly pointed critique of the learner. Try to refer to the assignment rather than the student when developing criteria. Avoid overly subjective language and use active voice where appropriate.

Test your rubrics with a variety of scores for each criteria and see how significantly an outlier in one criterion will impact the overall grade. Consider whether adjustments to the weighting of criteria or the way points are allocated would more accurately reflect the appropriate grade.

Asking a colleague to review the rubric in advance is one of the best ways to ensure that your expectations are clear. You can ask colleagues to focus on specific elements of the rubric or to provide overall feedback.

Rubric Tools

Canvas rubrics, resources and works cited.

Rubrics for Assessment from Northern Illinois University

Types of Rubrics from DePaul Teaching Commons

Types of Rubrics: Holistic and Analytic from Queen’s University

Know Your Terms: Holistic. Analytic. And Single-Point Rubrics

Jonsson, A., & Svingby, G. (2007). The use of scoring rubrics: Reliability, validity and educational consequences.  Educational Research Review , 2(2), 130–144.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2007.05.002

Reddy, Y. M., & Andrade, H. (2010). A review of rubric use in higher education.  Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education , 35(4), 435–448.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930902862859

Additionally, Dannelle D. Stevens & Antonia J. Levi,  An Introduction to Rubrics  (Sterling, VA: Stylus, 2005), is available as an online Brown Library resource and in the Sheridan Center’s library.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Foundational Generative AI Models Are Like Operating Systems

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 11, 2024

Why Foundational Generative AI Models Are Like Operating Systems

With generative AI evolving so rapidly, there aren’t many things that can be stated with confidence about exactly where it will go in the future. This blog will address one concept that I am convinced will hold true regardless of how generative AI evolves. Namely, foundational generative AI models will play a role very similar to classic operating systems and will effectively serve as commoditized utilities.

Operating Systems Galore?  Not So Much…

Every computer and mobile phone runs on an operating system. If you have a laptop, it is almost certain that you are running either Microsoft Windows or Apple MacOS. If you have a phone, it is almost certain you’re running either Google Android or Apple iOS.  While other operating systems do exist, the vast majority of users have settled on one of a limited set of options. Limited options dominate because they each incorporate a massive range of features that cover all common requirements.

While there are some differences in how Windows and MacOS operate, most users can do the same things on either one. The same applications are available for each operating system and the user interfaces are similar. Phone operating systems are even more alike. It is hard to find a major difference in how to operate an Android phone versus an iOS phone. On top of that, virtually every app in existence can run on either platform. These operating systems are all effectively foundational, commodity platforms that you pay a fee to make use of … like a utility service.

Nobody Creates A Custom Operating System

We never hear of companies investing in their own operating systems because the robust functionality of standard operating systems meets their needs. The amount of money, time, and opportunity cost required to create a legitimate alternative to today’s dominant operating systems is simply too high to make it worthwhile for anyone to build their own.

What organizations (and individuals) do instead is to differentiate based on the applications they lay on top of their operating system. Computers and phones with different owners have vastly different assortments of applications on them, and the owners of the devices might use them for drastically different purposes. So, while the operating systems are largely commoditized and interchangeable, the variety of ways they can be put to work for any given user is almost unlimited.

There are a handful of widely used foundational generative AI models available today. OpenAI, Google, and Meta have three of the most common. Like operating systems, there are some differences in the strengths and weaknesses of these offerings. However, they are fundamentally built on the same type of model architecture, using the same type of training data, and are targeted for the same uses. Moreover, they require a massive and expensive training data collection process and a mind-blowing level of cost for model development. Maintaining the models and letting users query them isn’t cheap either!

Thus, we can expect to see just a few foundational generative AI models survive and become the standard bearers. Like with computer and phone operating systems, it just won’t make sense to build your own. Rather, we’ll pay a fee to a foundational model owner to tie into its capabilities much as we pay a fee to Microsoft, Apple, or Google for the ability to use their operating systems … and much like we pay a fee to access utility networks offering power or natural gas service.

How To Differentiate While Using The Same Foundational Models

The standardization around a few foundational models doesn’t mean that companies and individuals are limited in how they can differentiate themselves and create value with generative AI.  Do software companies feel limited in their ability to differentiate when writing a Windows application? No! The differentiation is in how the underlying operating system is used to support each application. There are unlimited opportunities for creators to drive innovation and value with their applications even though they are built upon standard operating systems.

The same will happen with generative AI. While there may only be a few foundational models to choose from, they will be robust and easy to build on top of. We’ll continue to see an explosion of innovation and new revenue streams derived from generative AI. The foundational models will be commoditized utilities that support those efforts rather than being the primary focus.

So, go out and drive value with generative AI. Just make sure that you’re focused on building on top of a foundational model instead of trying to build your own. Pay the model owner a fee for your access, of course. Then, use that foundational model like an operating system by focusing on adding value through the applications and processes that you build on top of it!

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School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of engineering, afroze wins best presentation at jump 2.0 supreme annual review.

The third-year ECE Ph.D. student was recognized for her research on improving memory robustness at high temperatures.

Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) third-year Ph.D. candidate Nashrah Afroze won the Best Presentation Award at the Superior Energy-efficient Materials and Devices Center’s (SUPREME) Annual Review on June 11-12 in Cambridge, Mass. on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She won the award for her research, "Interface Engineering for High-Performance Memories at Elevated Temperatures," which aims to improve memory robustness at high temperatures.

Emerging memories are essential for AI applications due to their substantial memory demands. These memories must function reliably at elevated temperatures, such as high bandwidth memory operating at 105 degrees C, monolithic back end at 125 degrees C, and automotive applications at 160 degrees C.

Ensuring robustness at these high temperatures is crucial for maintaining performance and reliability.

At the event, Afroze demonstrated an interface engineering method to enhance the robustness of these memories at elevated temperatures, ensuring their effectiveness under realistic temperature conditions.

“Attending the JUMP 2.0 SUPREME annual meeting in Cambridge was truly remarkable,” Afroze said. “Engaging with top semiconductor researchers from both academia and industry was incredibly inspiring. I'm grateful for the insights and connections gained, shaping my vision for future advancements in technology.”

The SUPREME center, led by Cornell University, is one of the seven Joint University Microelectronics Program (JUMP) 2.0 academic research centers co-sponsored by Semiconductor Research Corporation’s (SRC).

It aims to demonstrate the basic materials and technology breakthroughs needed to address the seismic shifts identified by the semiconductor community in the Decadal Plan for Semiconductors.

Afroze is a third-year Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of ECE associate professor Asif Islam Khan , who is part of the SUPREME Center team.

Her research interests encompass a comprehensive study of ferroelectric memories, from microstructure analysis to electrical characterization, aiming to advance the understanding and application of the ferroelectric materials in next-generation memory technologies.

Zachary Winiecki

[email protected]

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General Information

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca, New York 14853-6401

On Campus Pre-Vet Presentations & Tours

These two-hour programs are open to all who are interested in a veterinary medicine career. They include a presentation by the director of admissions and a student-guided tour of the college. Guests of pre-vet students are welcome to attend the presentation and participate on the tour.

• The presentation covers information about the DVM curriculum, how to prepare for a future application, an overview of the application process, ways to strengthen an application, careers in veterinary medicine, and financial aid.
• The tour is a guided walk-through of the educational facilities and some of our clinical spaces, like the Companion Animal Hospital. These are the only tours offered of the college; we do not offer individual tours.

Registration

Spaces are limited for this program and we ask each attendee to limit their guests to one person in order to allow more students to attend. When you click the registration link below, you will be taken to an RSVP system where you can let us know the date you would like to attend, your name, email address, and your guest's RSVP.

Registration confirmation will be sent closer to the date of the program, along with details on the time and location of the program.

If you are interested in a tour that is marked “Full,” email [email protected]  and ask to be put on the waitlist. Include the date(s) you are interested in attending and if you are bringing a guest. Cancelations are frequent and those on the waitlist are often able to attend.

Upcoming Tour Dates

• Friday, June 21st from 3:00-5:00
• Friday, July 26th from 3:00-5:00
• Friday, August 2nd from 3:00-5:00

Cancelations

If you find you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer someone on the waitlist an opportunity to attend. You can email us at [email protected] or call 607.253.3700.

Restrictions and Warnings

Children 14 years old and under are not allowed on tours for health and safety reasons. 

There are many steps to climb; you may see dead or sick animals; you may see blood and animal tissues; you will not be allowed to touch or pet any animals. Photography is not allowed at any point during the Tour. Close-toed shoes are required in the hospital (no sandals).

Cannot attend in person? Watch our virtual tour videos .

Virtual Admissions Roundtables

These roundtables are offered via Zoom and are tailored for small groups of either pre-vet or applicants, depending on where the student is in the admissions process. These programs are only open to those who registered by  emailing us  with the date and time you are interested in attending. A Zoom link will be sent a few days before the program. All times are Eastern Standard Time.

Virtual Pre-Vet Roundtables

Learn about how to prepare for a future application, details about Cornell and our veterinary curriculum, and life as a vet student.

• Wednesday, June 12th at 6:00
• Wednesday, July 24th at 5:00

Virtual Applicant Roundtables

• Tuesday, May 21st at 5:00
• Wednesday, June 5th at 5:00
• Wednesday, July 10th at 6:00

Virtual Pre-Vet Club Meetings

Pre-Vet clubs who would like to set up a virtual Zoom meeting with the director of admissions, please send an email to [email protected] .

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Individual appointments are available with Jennifer Mailey, director of admissions. Whether you are a college pre-vet, high school student, career changer, or postbac student, this is an opportunity to discuss your preparation for a future application and ask questions about our DVM degree program. Please use this Bookings link  (appointment details can be found under the 'i' info button). On-campus appointments (Tuesday-Friday only) can be made by calling 607.253.3700 and selecting Admissions.

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Research and Publishing Update

Accounting and business law.

Laurie Burney presented "Navigating the Technology Frontier: The Role of AI and Technology in Accounting Classrooms" at the TACTYC in Arlington, VA (May 2024).

Michael Mowchan presented "Are Audit Firms Undermining PCAOB Enforcement? Unveiling the Influence of PCAOB Enforcement when Firms Retain Sanctioned Auditors" at the 2024 PCAOB/TAR Registered Reports Conference in Washington, DC (June 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Meng Li, Wei Zhang and Hyun Jong Park.

Lourenco Paz presented "Exporter's gender wage gap: do destinations matter?" at the IPEA Webinar Series in Brasilia, Brazil (June 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Bruno Araujo.

Information Systems and Business Analytics

Allison Alford authored "Daughterwork in times of social upheaval" which has been accepted for publication in Qualitative Research Reports in Communication. (May 2024).

Allison Alford presented "What does it mean to "care" in families?" at the Re-Envisioning Care for a more Just and Inclusive Society Conference in College Station, TX (May 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Kaitlin Phillips.

Yasamin Hadavi authored "Please Help: The Effect of (Im)polite Language on Educational Crowdfunding Success" which has been accepted for publication in . (May 2024). Co-authors include: Xunyi Wang, Robin Wakefield and Stacie Petter.

Hope Koch presented "The Impact of a Mentor" at the Leading Waco Women as part of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce in Waco, TX (May 2024).

Qin Weng authored "Bridge the Gap or Mind the Gap? The Role of Leader Coaching and Communication Technologies in Configurationally Dispersed Teams" which has been accepted for publication in Information & Management. (June 2024). Co-authors include: Jamie Windeler, Likoebe Maruping and Viswanath Venkatesh.

Jie (Kevin) Yan authored "How Technology Affordances of Sharing Economy Platforms Influence Cultural Distance and the Affective Commitment of Immigrants at the Base of the Pyramid" which has been accepted for publication in a conference proceeding. (May 2024). Co-authors include: Robin Wakefield , Saman Bina and Yasamin Hadavi.

Stephanie Mangus presented "Gratitude: A New Approach to Motivating Consumer Ethics" at the Association of Consumer Research Conference 2024 Paris in Paris, France (June 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Veronica Thomas and Jeremy Wolter.

Kellen Mrkva presented "The Confirmation Nudge: How to Change Consumer Purchase Choices" at the Theory + Practice in Marketing in Austin, TX (May 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Shannon Duncan, Marissa Sharif and Stanley Zuo.

Kellen Mrkva presented "Below the Scroll: A Novel Position Effect Influences Online Consumer Decisions" at the Theory + Practice in Marketing in Austin, TX (May 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Jake Floyd, Ashley Otto and Yuna Choe.

Kellen Mrkva presented "Unfair Artificial Intelligence Reduces Rates of Prosocial Punishment" at the Association for Consumer Research in Paris, France (September 2024).

Chris Pullig presented "Institutionalizing Diversity-and-Inclusion-Engaged Marketing for Multicultural Marketplace Well-Being" at the American Marketing Association - Summer Educators Conference in Boston, MA (2024).

Lane Wakefield authored "Conceptualizing Ephemerality in Online Marketing Communication for Consumers and Firms" which has been accepted for publication in European Journal of Marketing. (May 2024).

Min Kyung Lee presented "Boosting or undermining? Unveiling the two-sided effect of updates in medical crowdfunding campaigns" at the 2024 POMS Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN (April 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Wen Zhang.

Diane Mollenkopf authored "Transformative Supply Chain Research: A New Frontier for SCM Scholars" which has been accepted for publication in Journal of Business Logistics. (May 2024). Co-authors include: Terry Esper, Hannah Stolze and Lucie Ozanne.

MBA Healthcare Administration

Joel Allison presented "Conversation with Joel Alison" at the Leadership in Healthcare at Baylor University in Waco, TX (February 2024). Co-authors/presenters include: Lauren Barron.

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2024 Commencement Address by Roger Federer

The tennis champion says “effortless” is a myth.

Roger Federer Holds Court at Dartmouth Commencement

Hello, Class of 2024!

It’s an incredible feeling to be here with you.

I am so excited to join you today.

Really, you have no idea how excited I am. Keep in mind, this is literally the second time I have ever set foot on a college campus. Second time ever.

But for some reason, you are giving me a doctorate degree.

I just came here to give a speech, but I get to go home as “Dr. Roger.” That’s a pretty nice bonus.

“Dr. Roger.” This has to be my most unexpected victory ever!

President Beilock, the Board of Trustees, faculty members—thank you for this honor.

President Beilock, I’m incredibly grateful. And I’ll try my best not to choke.

I’m a little outside my comfort zone today. This is not my usual scene...

And these are not my usual clothes.

Do you dress like this every day at Dartmouth?

The robe is hard to move in. Keep in mind I’ve worn shorts almost every day for the last 35 years.

I’m not a person who gives a lot of speeches like this. Maybe the worst... but an important speech... was when I started out on the Swiss national team. I was 17 years old, and I was so nervous that I couldn’t even say more than four words: “Happy… to… be… here.”

Well, here we are, 25 years later. I still feel a little nervous, but I’ve got a lot more than four words to say to you. Starting with: I’m happy to be here! Happy to be with you, here on the Green.

As you might have heard... grass is my favorite surface.

“Big Green”... it must be destiny!

There is another reason I’m here, and I can sum it up in two words:

Or pong, as you call it. And I guess you can call it what you like—I’m told Dartmouth invented it!

Now, this sport... Wait. Is pong a sport?

Or is it a way of life?

Either way, Dartmouth is the Wimbledon of pong.

I’m glad I got to work on my shots with some of you. I’m actually thinking about turning pro.

But I know there’s more to Dartmouth than pong. I have spent an amazing couple of days here, and you have made Hanover feel like home. The mountains here are exactly like the Swiss Alps.

Just… shorter.

But I’m loving it here. I got a chance to hit some balls with my kids at the Boss Tennis Center... I did a Woccom… I got to climb the Baker Tower, saw some incredible views and took my kids to see the Dr. Seuss books at the library. Of course I also crushed some chocolate chip cookies from FoCo… and ate an EBA’s chicken sandwich from Lou’s.

But there is another big reason I’m here: Tony G., Class of ’93.

Are we rapping now?

Tony Godsick is my business partner, my longtime agent, one of my closest friends, and most important...

The proud father of Isabella, Class of 2024.

From Tony—and now Bella—I know how special this place truly is. And how loyal you are to each other, and how obsessive you are about this color Green. I was with their family, including Mary Joe and Nico, the day Bella got into Dartmouth. I remember how crazy happy she was. I saw a smile and a level of excitement on her face that I had never seen before...

But then I got here... and actually, everybody is smiling like this.

I can see how proud you are of this place... and this moment.

You have worked so hard to get here. I have huge respect for all you have achieved.

And for the family and friends who have helped you achieve it. Let’s give them a big hand.

I’m even more impressed, because I left school at the age of 16 to play tennis full-time.

So I never went to college... but I did graduate recently.

I graduated tennis.

I know the word is “retire.” “Roger Federer retired from tennis.” Retired... The word is awful.

You wouldn’t say you retired from college, right? Sounds terrible.

Like you, I’ve finished one big thing and I’m moving on to the next.

Like you, I’m figuring out what that is.

Graduates, I feel your pain.

I know what it’s like when people keep asking what your plan is for the rest of your life.

They ask me: “Now that you are not a professional tennis player, what do you do?”

I don’t know… and it’s OK not to know.

So what do I do with my time?

I’m a dad first, so, I guess, I drive my kids to school?

Play chess online against strangers?

Vacuum the house?

No, in truth, I’m loving the life of a tennis graduate. I graduated tennis in 2022, and you are graduating college in 2024. So I have a head start in answering the question of what’s next.

Today, I want to share a few lessons I’ve relied on through this transition.

Let’s call them… tennis lessons.

I hope they will be useful in the world beyond Dartmouth.

Here’s the first:

“Effortless”… is a myth.

I say that as someone who has heard that word a lot. “Effortless.”

People would say my play was effortless. Most of the time, they meant it as a compliment... But it used to frustrate me when they would say, “He barely broke a sweat!”

Or “Is he even trying?”

The truth is, I had to work very hard... to make it look easy.

I spent years whining... swearing… throwing my racket… before I learned to keep my cool.

The wakeup call came early in my career, when an opponent at the Italian Open publicly questioned my mental discipline. He said, “Roger will be the favorite for the first two hours, and then I’ll be the favorite after that.”

I was puzzled at first. But eventually, I realized what he was trying to say. Everybody can play well the first two hours. You’re fit, you’re fast, you’re clear... and after two hours, your legs get wobbly, your mind starts wandering, and your discipline starts to fade.

It made me understand... I have so much work ahead of me, and I’m ready to go on this journey now. I get it.

My parents, my coaches, my fitness coach, everyone had really been calling me out—and now even my rivals were doing it. Players!!! Thank you! I’m eternally grateful for what you did.

So I started training harder. A lot harder.

But then I realized: winning effortlessly is the ultimate achievement.

I got that reputation because my warm-ups at the tournaments were so casual that people didn’t think I had been training hard. But I had been working hard... before the tournament, when nobody was watching.

Maybe you’ve seen a version of this at Dartmouth.

How many times did you feel like your classmates were racking up “A” after “A” without even trying… while you were pulling all-nighters... loading up on caffeine… crying softly in a corner of Sanborn Library?

Hopefully, like me, you learned that “effortless” is a myth.

I didn’t get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents.

I believed in myself. But BELIEF in yourself has to be earned.

There was a moment in 2003 when my self-belief really kicked in.

It was at the ATP Finals, where only the best eight players qualify.

I beat some top players I really admired—by aiming right at their strengths. Before, I would run away from their strengths. If a guy had a strong forehand, I would try to hit to his backhand. But now... I would try to go after his forehand. I tried to beat the baseliners from the baseline. I tried to beat the attackers by attacking. I tried to beat the net rushers from the net.

I took a chance by doing that. So why did I do it?

To amplify my game and expand my options. You need a whole arsenal of strengths... so if one of them breaks down, you’ve got something left.

When your game is clicking like that, winning is easy—relatively.

Then there are days when you just feel broken.

Your back hurts… your knee hurts… Maybe you’re a little sick… or scared…

But you still find a way to win.

And those are the victories we can be most proud of.

Because they prove that you can win not just when you are at your best, but especially when you aren’t.

Yes, talent matters. I’m not going to stand here and tell you it doesn’t.

But talent has a broad definition.

Most of the time, it’s not about having a gift. It’s about having grit.

In tennis, a great forehand with sick racquet head speed can be called a talent.

But in tennis... like in life... discipline is also a talent. And so is patience.

Trusting yourself is a talent. Embracing the process, loving the process, is a talent.

Managing your life, managing yourself... these can be talents, too.

Some people are born with them. Everybody has to work at them.

From this day forward, some people are going to assume that because you graduated from Dartmouth, it all comes easy for you.

And you know what? Let them believe that…

As long as you don’t.

OK, second lesson:

It’s only a point.

Let me explain.

You can work harder than you thought possible... and still lose. I have.

Tennis is brutal. There’s no getting around the fact that every tournament ends the same way... one player gets a trophy... Every other player gets back on a plane, stares out of the window, and thinks... “how the hell did I miss that shot?”

Imagine if, today, only one of you got a degree.

Congratulations, this year’s graduate! Let’s give her a hand.

The rest of you... the other one thousand of you... better luck next time!

So, you know, I tried not to lose.

But I did lose... sometimes big. For me, one of the biggest was the finals at Wimbledon in 2008. Me vs. Nadal. Some call it the greatest match of all time. OK, all respect to Rafa, but I think it would have been way way better if I had won...

Losing at Wimbledon was a big deal... because winning Wimbledon is everything.

Obviously, except winning the Dartmouth Masters pong title, sophomore summer.

I mean, I’ve gotten to play in some amazing venues around the world, but when you have the chance to walk onto Centre Court at Wimbledon... the cathedral of tennis... and when you finish as the champion... you feel the magnitude of the moment. There’s nothing like it.

In 2008, I was going for a record sixth consecutive title. I was playing for history.

I’m not going to walk you through the match, point by point. If I did, we would be here for hours.

Almost five hours, to be exact.

There were rain delays, the sun went down... Rafa won two sets, I won the next two sets in tiebreaks, and we found ourselves at seven all in the fifth.

I understand why people focus on the end... the final minutes so dark I could barely see the chalk on the grass. But looking back... I feel like I lost at the very first point of the match.

I looked across the net and I saw a guy who, just a few weeks earlier, crushed me in straight sets at the French Open, and I thought... this guy is maybe hungrier than I am... And he’s finally got my number.

It took me until the third set before I remembered... hey, buddy, you’re the five-time defending champion! And you’re on grass, by the way. You know how to do this... But that came too late, and Rafa won. And it was well-deserved.

Some defeats hurt more than others.

I knew I would never get another shot at six in a row.

I lost Wimbledon. I lost my number-one ranking. And suddenly, people said, “He had a great run. Is this the changing of the guard?”

But I knew what I had to do... keep working. And keep competing.

In tennis, perfection is impossible... In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches... Now, I have a question for all of you... what percentage of the POINTS do you think I won in those matches?

In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play.

When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot.

You teach yourself to think: OK, I double-faulted. It’s only a point.

OK, I came to the net and I got passed again. It’s only a point.

Even a great shot, an overhead backhand smash that ends up on ESPN’s Top Ten Plays: that, too, is just a point.

Here’s why I am telling you this.

When you’re playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world.

But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you... This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point… and the next one after that… with intensity, clarity and focus.

The truth is, whatever game you play in life... sometimes you’re going to lose. A point, a match, a season, a job... it’s a roller coaster, with many ups and downs.

And it’s natural, when you’re down, to doubt yourself. To feel sorry for yourself.

And by the way, your opponents have self-doubt, too. Don’t ever forget that.

But negative energy is wasted energy.

You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to me is the sign of a champion.

The best in the world are not the best because they win every point... It’s because they know they’ll lose... again and again… and have learned how to deal with it.

You accept it. Cry it out if you need to... then force a smile.

You move on. Be relentless. Adapt and grow.

Work harder. Work smarter. Remember: work smarter.

Lesson three...

Are you guys still with me?

For a guy who left school at 16, this is a lot of lessons!

OK, here is the third one:

Life is bigger than the court.

A tennis court is a small space. 2,106 square feet, to be exact. That’s for singles matches.

Not much bigger than a dorm room.

OK, make that three or four dorm rooms in Mass Row.

I worked a lot, learned a lot, and ran a lot of miles in that small space... But the world is a whole lot bigger than that... Even when I was just starting out, I knew that tennis could show me the world... but tennis could never be the world.

I knew that if I was lucky, maybe I could play competitively until my late 30s. Maybe even… 41!

But even when I was in the top five... it was important to me to have a life... a rewarding life, full of travel, culture, friendships, and especially family... I never abandoned my roots, and I never forgot where I came from... but I also never lost my appetite to see this very big world.

I left home at 14 to go to school in the French part of Switzerland for two years, and I was horribly homesick at first... But I learned to love a life on the move.

Maybe these are the reasons I never burned out.

I was excited to travel the world, but not just as a tourist... I realized pretty early that I wanted to serve other people in other countries. Motivated by my South African mother, I started a foundation to empower children through education.

Early childhood education is something we take for granted in a place like Switzerland. But in sub-Saharan Africa, 75% of children don’t have access to preschool... Think about that: 75%.

Like all children... they need a good start if they are going to fulfill their potential. And so far, we’ve helped nearly 3 million children to get a quality education and helped to train more than 55,000 teachers.

It’s been an honor... and it’s been humbling.

An honor to help tackle this challenge, and humbling to see how complex it is.

Humbling to try to read stories to children in one of the languages of Lesotho.

Humbling also to arrive in rural Zambia and have to explain what tennis actually is... I vividly remember drawing a tennis court on the chalkboard for the kids to see, because I asked them what tennis was, and one kid said, “it’s the one with the table, right? With the paddles?”

Pong again. It’s everywhere.

I have to tell you, it’s a wonderful feeling to visit these incredibly rural places... and find classrooms full of children who are learning, and reading, and playing, like children everywhere should be allowed to do.

It’s also inspiring to see what they grow up to be: Some have become nurses... Teachers... Computer programmers.

It’s been an exciting journey... and I feel like we’re only at the beginning... with so much more to learn. I can’t believe we’ve just celebrated twenty years of this work... Especially because I started the foundation before I thought I was ready.

I was 22 at the time, like many of you are today. I was not ready for anything other than tennis. But sometimes... you’ve got to take a chance and then figure it out.

Philanthropy can mean a lot of things. It can mean starting a nonprofit, or donating money. But it can also mean contributing your ideas... your time... and your energy... to a mission that is larger than yourself. All of you have so much to give, and I hope you will find your own, unique ways to make a difference.

Because life really is much bigger than the court.

As a student at Dartmouth, you picked a major and went deep. But you also went wide. Engineers learned art history, athletes even sang a-cappella , and computer scientists learned to speak German.

Dartmouth’s legendary football coach Buddy Teevens used to recruit players by telling their parents: “Your son will be a great football player when it’s football time, a great student when it’s academic time, and a great person all the time.”

That is what a Dartmouth education is all about.

Tennis has given me so many memories. But my off-court experiences are the ones I carry forward just as much... The places I’ve gotten to travel… the platform that lets me give back… and, most of all… the people I’ve met along the way.

Tennis... like life... is a team sport. Yes, you stand alone on your side of the net. But your success depends on your team. Your coaches, your teammates, even your rivals... all these influences help to make you who you are.

It’s not an accident that my business partnership with Tony is called “TEAM8.” A play on words... “Teammate.” All the work we do together reflects that team spirit... the strong bond we have with each other and our colleagues... with the athletes we represent... and with partners and sponsors. These personal relationships matter most.

I learned this way of thinking from the best... my parents. They’ve always supported me, always encouraged me, and always understood what I most wanted and needed to be.

A family is a team. I feel so very lucky that my incredible wife, Mirka... who makes every joy in my life even brighter... and our four amazing children, Myla, Charlene, Leo, and Lenny, are here with me today.

And more important, that we are here for each other every day.

Graduates, I know the same is true for you. Your parents, your families... they made the sacrifices to get you here... They have shared your triumphs and your struggles... They will always, always be in your corner.

And not only them. As you head out into the world, don’t forget: you get to bring all of this with you... this culture, this energy, these people, this color Green... The friends who have pushed you and supported you to become the best version of yourselves… the friends who will never stop cheering for you, just like today.

And you will keep making friends in the Dartmouth community... Possibly even today... So right now, turn to the people on your left and your right... Maybe this is the first time you have met. You might not share experiences or viewpoints, but now you share this memory. And a whole lot more.

When I left tennis, I became a former tennis player. But you are not a former anything.

You are future record-breakers and world travelers… future volunteers and philanthropists... future winners and future leaders.

I’m here to tell you... from the other side of graduation... that leaving a familiar world behind and finding new ones is incredibly, deeply, wonderfully exciting.

So there, Dartmouth, are your tennis lessons for the day.

Effortless is a myth.

Wait—wait—I got one more lesson.

President Beilock, can I have my racquet real quick?

OK, so, for your forehand, you’ll want to use an eastern grip. Keep your knuckles apart a little bit. Obviously, you don’t want to squeeze the grip too hard... switching from forehand to backhand should be easy... Also, remember it all starts with the footwork, and the take-back is as important as the follow-through.

No, this is not a metaphor! It’s just good technique.

Dartmouth, this has been an incredible honor for me.

Thank you for the honorary degree. Thank you for making me part of your really big day.

I’m glad I got to meet so many of you these past few days. If you are ever in Switzerland, or anywhere else in the world, and you see me on the street... even 20 or 30 years from now... whether I have gray hair or no hair... I want you to stop me and say... “I was there that day on the Green. I’m a member of your class... the Class of 2024.”

I will never forget this day, and I know you won’t either.

You have worked so hard to get here, and left nothing on the court... or the pong table.

From one graduate to another, I can’t wait to see what you all do next.

Whatever game you choose, give it your best.

Go for your shots. Play free. Try everything.

And most of all, be kind to one another... and have fun out there.

Congratulations again, Class of 2024!

• Commencement
• Commencement 2024
• Class of 2024

Dartmouth Buys Four Properties on West Wheelock Street

It’s always exciting to see a young guy come up and make their major league debut. But certainly, this one’s a little bit closer to my heart just because of the connections.